Furnace-screen.



H. H. WIEGAND.

FURNACE SCREEN.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.21.1912.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. WIEGAND.

FURNACE SCREEN APPLICATION FILED 001-. 2: 1:112

1,128,206. Patented Feb. 9, 1915 2 SHEBTS'SHBET mm H e we a UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

HENRY H. .XVIEGAND, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FURNACE-SCREEN.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Application filed October 21, 1912. Serial No. 726,920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY IL'WIEGAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented. certain'new and useful Improvements in Furnace-Screens, of which the following is a specification.

In the operation of boiler furnaces, for example, whenever it is desired to supply fresh fuel to the furnace, or to rake or stir the burning fuel already in the furnace, the

performance of his duties, and in addition thereto intensifies the heat of the boiler room. Third, it results in a reat rush of a solid mass of cold air into tie furnace, in a large volume, striking among the gases arising from the fire bed, cooling them and causing improper combustion and the "production of black smoke. Such a solid mass of cool air also striking the highly heated shell of the boiler causes sudden contractions which produce eaks and damage to the boiler. Moreover, the highly heated brick-work receiving such volumes of cold air is also damaged.

This invention was devised primarily for the purpose of obviating these undesirable results, which follow each time the furnace door is opened, by providing a fiexiblgxand penetrable screen or screen door w ich,

while permitting the tire within the fu ace to be viewed from the outside and s oked and manipulated with the customary tools, in the ordinary manner, baffles the passage of heat from the furnace through the door opening, and splits such air as enters the I furnace through the said opening into'many small streams which donot have the ill effects of a large solid mass of cold air rushing into the furnace through the door, as under ordinary circumstances. Moreover, the fireman may work with a great deal more comfort and safety when my improved screen is employed than without.

- Though primarily devised for use in connection with boiler furnaces, it will be understood that my invention has also many other useful applications; as for example, to blast, glass, gas and other furnaces, refrigerating compartments, and compartments containing gases, fumes, or dust, the passage of which it might be desirable to impede through an opening While permitting of the free passage of utensils, or'other solid bodies through the, opening. a In the following detail description, however, I shall assume that my invention is used in connection with a boiler furnace, and in order to more fully describe my said invention, reference will be had to the ac companying drawings wherein,

Figure 1, represents in front elevation a boiler furnace proyided with one form of my improved device; Fig. 2, a fragmentary vertical central section thereof; Fig 3, a front elevation illustrating a modified form of my invention; Figs. 4 and 5, fragmentary frontlelevations of boiler furnaces equipped with pther specific forms of my invention;-

and, Jigs-6, '7 and 8, fragmentary detail eleva'ons of several forms in which the yielding members of the screen may be made-L Referring first to the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 1 represents the front of a, boiler furnace provided with the usual stoking door opening 2, and hinged door3, therefor. The door 4, is the door for the ash pit with which we are not concerned in the present description. In

this case, my improved screen or auxiliarydoor comprises. among other parts, a metal bar 5, from which are suspended a plurality of metal chains 6, all lying in close proximity to each other in substantia y the same vertical plane, the row of said chains being wide enough to completely cover the urnacc door opening, when placedin-front of the same, said members being free at their lower ends where they terminate approximately at the bottom of said opening, and are adapted to swing within said opening toward the rear thereof into a substantially horizontal plane when struck from the front. The screen in this case is normally supported by means of a flexible wire cable, or other suitable flexible supporting rue-and wire cable or other suitable'means 8, se-

' cured to the bar 5, near each end thereof,

the cable 7 passing over pulleys 9 and 10,

7, attached at one end to a flexible had provided at one end with a counterweight 11.

When the screen is lowered into position in front of the door opening, it is supported by two brackets 1'2 and 13, which receive the bar 5 near its ends.

lVhen it is desired/to stoke the furnace, the ordinary furnace door 3 is opened, and my improved screen is lowered into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. In this position of the screen the fireman can readily the condition of the fire through the screen. can pitch coal through the screen, or insert such implements as may be desired to manipulate the burning fuel in the furnace. At the. same time the screen greatly baflles the passage of heat out of the furnace through the door opening, and splits up such air as enters the furnace through the opening, as pointed out in the general introduction to the specification.

\Yhen' it is desired to close the furnace door 3, the auxiliary door or screen is raised providesome means for keeping the screen,

as well the counterweight. from swinging about. One way of doing this is shown in Fig. 3, where I employ guide rods 14 and 15, which cr itend through openings near the ends of the bar 5. and by providing guide rods 16'and 17, which extend through openings in lugs 18, on. the counterweight 11'.

In Fig. 4, I have shown another modification of my invention. in which the support for the chains 6 consists of a lever arm 19, fulcrumed as at 20, and provided, if desired, with a counterweight 21. In this case the screen is placed in front of the door opening of the furnace, or removed therefrom by merely rocking the lever 19 on its fulcrum. causing the screen to travel in a vertical plane.

In Fig. 5, I have shownanother modification of my invention in which the screen is movable horizontally to and away from the furnace door opening. In this case the chains 6 are support-ed from a bar 22, fulcrumed at one end on a vertical rod 23, supported top and bottom in suitable supports 24 and 25, the said bar 22 being braced by a rod secured at one end to the outer end of the bar 22. and at its other end fulcrumed on the rod 2-3. Thus we have the auxiliary door, onscreen, hinged to the front/of the furnace on the opposite side of the door opening 3-, from the. door 3, so that whenever the door 3 is opened, my improved screen may be swung around int-o'position in front of the door opening 2. closing of the screen in this case, may be made automatic by pivotall connecting the The opening and bar of the screen to the ordinary door 3, as .)y means of a link or connecting bar 27. By this arrangement it will be readily seen that Whenever the ordinary door 3is'swung open, this will pull the screen to the closed position, and whenever the screen is swung open, this will pull the door 3 to the closed position. This is merely one of several ways in which the operation of the screen may be made automatic. Other modifications of the construction and mounting of the screen,

itself, may also be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In Figs. 6, T and 8, I have indicated a few of the many forms in which the pendant members may be made when not employing the ordinary chain, as indicated in the foregoing figures.

In the form shown in Fig. 6, each pendant member is made up of a continuous rod or tube 28, and a short length of chain 29, the latter being connected to the bar 51 In Fig. 7, I have indicatedthe pendant members as consisting of a series of balls 30, linked together, whilein Fig. 8, I have indicated the pendant members as made up of a series of short lengths of tubing 31, joined together by links 32- and 33. These, however, merely represent a few of the large number of different forms which the yieldin: members of the screen may assume.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is:

1. A furnace having a stoking opening and a door therefor, in combination with an auxiliary door for said opening adapted and arranged to be brought into operation only when the first mentioned door is opened, said auxiliary door comprising a plurality of flexible non-combustible pendant members with means to support the same, said members being free at their lower ends where they terminate approximately at the bottom of said opening, and adapted to swing within said opening toward the rear thereof into a substantially horizontal plane when struck from the front.

9. The combination with a furnace having a door opening through which the furnace is stoked and the .usual door for said 1 opening, of a. screen door mounted near said opening so as to be brought in position to cover said opening, or remoi ed from said position, and means to automatically operate the screen door through the movement of the usual furnace door.

The combination with a furnace having a door opening through which the furnace is stoked and the usual door for said opening, of a screen door mounted near 'saidthe screen door through the movement of the usual furnace door, substantialy as described.

4. The combination with a furnace having a door opening and the usual door for said opening, of a screen comprising a hinged support and a pluralit of chains pendant therefrom in substantia ly the same plane, and means connecting the said su 10 port to the usual furnace door whereby t e opening and closing of the latter door swings said screen toward and away from said opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY H. WIEGAND.

Witnesses Gnome L. MATTINGLY, THOMAS D. PENNIMAN. 

